### The Morning After [[Perserphina]] Day The morning after [[Perserphina]] Day's festivities, [[Hermes]] made his way through the trash-strewn streets of Duskwatch to the guild hall. He navigated around discarded clothing, cups, mugs, and the occasional groaning reveler recovering from the previous night's celebrations. At the guild hall, he met with [[Lyralei Silverleaf|Lyralei]], the clerk, who retrieved the party's reward from the Silent Watchtower mission—a substantial payment in coins and gems that [[Hermes]] placed into his bag of holding. [[Lyralei Silverleaf|Lyralei]] confirmed that per the contract, the party could keep all magical items recovered from the dangerous mission. She also provided updates on continental news: the Devil King had been defeated in [[Polaria City]] by the [[The Heralds of Silver|Heralds of Silver]] with [[Princess Aurora Talbain|Princess Aurara]]'s help, a group called "Jacen's Little Buddies" had destroyed the [[Anam's Spell Engine - The Severance Protocol|Spell Engine]] in [[North Angoria]], and rumors circulated about a secret meeting between major powers regarding a powerful spell. The [[The Wizards Conclave|Wizards Conclave]] had also proposed a Magic Initiative that kingdoms worldwide were voting on. After distributing the rewards to the party, [[Hermes]] prepared for the coming days of preparation before their journey north. ### Initial Discussions [[Benguard]], [[Cedric]], and Thorag gathered at the Gilded Stag tavern for breakfast and discussion about working together as a team and getting to know the new cleric better. They observed the morning crowd, including Lyxiria and [[Andromeda Walker|Andromeda]] having quiet conversations with another succubus. Meanwhile, [[Nobuu]] and [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] discussed plans for intensive crafting work in [[Armara]]'s wagon—upgrading [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]]'s serpent scale armor using bones and scales from Noctyss, making [[Nobuu]]'s scythe vicious, and creating sending piercings for party communication. ### Ten Days of Preparation The party settled into a ten-day period of preparation before departing for [[North Angoria]]: **[[Nobuu]] and [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] (Crafting):** Spent 8-hour days in [[Armara]]'s forge working on multiple projects. [[Nobuu]] successfully crafted (rolling 26) masterwork dragon-scale armor for [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]], upgrading her serpent scale armor with Noctyss's bones and scales. [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] enhanced [[Nobuu]]'s scythe with vicious properties and created sending piercings for party communication. The work required approximately 1,200 gold in materials. **[[Benguard]]'s Deal with [[Armara]]:** Unable to afford magical shields in Duskwatch's shops (ranging from 800 to 12,000 gold pieces), [[Benguard]] approached [[Armara]] about accessing her armory. She placed a magical signature rune on his palm and offered him two magical items of his choosing in exchange for his promise to help hunt [[Anam]] [[Anam|the Withered One]]. [[Armara]] explained the full scope of [[Anam]]'s disease strategy: [[Renald the Sahdowmaster|Renald]] had planned to use her sacrifice to power nodes that would feed an incurable affliction into the [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]]'s roots. Once infected, the disease would spread through animals and then to mortals across all of Solare within weeks. The [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]] in [[North Angoria]]—a creation of [[Perserphina]]—was the only plant capable of healing this disease, making it the primary target. [[Armara]] warned that she would need to relocate soon, as her sister [[Fortuna Axton-Astervale|Fortuna]] (now stripped of her Royal Wizard title) could only delay [[Silvervale - Port City of South Angoria|Silvervale]]'s pursuit for so long. Anyone allied with [[Armara]] risked becoming enemies of [[Silvervale - Port City of South Angoria|Silvervale]] and its allied kingdoms. [[Benguard]] selected two magical items from [[Armara]]'s extensive armory and practiced with his Staff of Striking, noticing increased attractiveness (likely from [[Perserphina]]'s Cloak's Testament of Beauty). **Z'ul's Magical Education:** Z'ul spent extensive time studying in [[Armara]]'s library. She offered to enhance his magical arsenal, giving him three powerful spell scrolls representing her anti-caster methodology: [Forceful Repurposing](https://www.5esrd.com/spellcasting/3pp-spells/spells-open-design-llc/forceful-repurposing/), [Spellsteal](https://www.5esrd.com/spellcasting/3pp-spells/spells-grimlore-entertainment/spellsteal/), and [Power Word Rebound](https://www.5esrd.com/database/spell/power-word-rebound/). These spells formed the core of how [[Armara]] dominated magical duels—not through raw damage, but through superior control and counter-magic that could systematically dismantle opposing spellcasters. Z'ul copied all three spells into his spellbook and kept his undead servants (the minotaur and ogre zombies) in the forest outside town to avoid frightening citizens. **[[Hermes]]' Troubling Communion:** In a secluded forest area away from the wagon, [[Hermes]] knelt to commune with [[Arnelime]] but failed to connect properly (rolling only 7 on Religion). Instead, he felt a different presence watching him and received disturbing fragmented visions: the party fighting alongside [[Armara]] and silver knights of [[Silvervale - Port City of South Angoria|Silvervale]], undead swarms attacking burning buildings, a massive skull with fiery pupils filling the sky, shadow creatures in a mirror realm, and souls screaming amid rivers of flame. With a 26 Insight check, [[Hermes]] recognized this presence as the same entity from the Verdant Veil that had previously threatened him. He continued distributing quest rewards evenly and remained vigilant after his disturbing visions. **Confronting the Verdant Veil:** [[Hermes]] led [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] to the Verdant Veil forest to share information about [[Anam]] with Serathiel, but found him away at a [[The Wizards Conclave|Wizards Conclave]] meeting. Instead, they met a female wizard serving as acting guardian. She examined [[Hermes]] with her staff and detected a serious problem: the party was "out of sync with the timeline" due to their time in the Shadowfell mist. This permanent temporal signature meant they would be easier to track for powerful entities (master-level wizards or dragons), might attract undead and Shadowfell creatures, and had developed a closer connection to the Shadowfell itself. Only divine intervention could potentially fix it, though that would create paradoxes. [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] used her artificial mind (a piece of awakened bark) to share [[Hermes]]' visions telepathically with the wizard. She analyzed them as "fractured timelines—different possibilities depending on your choices and paths." However, the earlier vision of heroes falling and darkness spreading was "a future that could very well happen" if they failed. The wizard promised to relay this information to Serathiel and the Conclave, noting that heroes were already rising across the continent—the [[The Heralds of Silver|Heralds of Silver]], Jacen's Little Buddies, and others—suggesting the tide might be turning against evil forces. Z'ul arrived with his undead servants during this conversation, causing brief alarm before being assured they were friendly. **[[Cedric]] and Thorag:** Spent time at the Church of [[Perserphina]], with [[Cedric]] offering healing services to hung-over festival-goers (2 gold per casting of Lesser Restoration to cure poison from excessive drinking). **[[Arin Veldrak|Arin]]:** Encountered two teenage girls (Sela and Elira) he'd previously saved during the parade, who proposed joining his adventures if he helped them deal with a "ghost lady ranger" in the Deadwood Glades. They claimed to know a secret place where they could gain power. **[[Armara]]:** Worked with [[Glyph]] to prepare her wagon for transport, created a hidden teleportation location in [[North Angoria]], and began planning specific missions against [[Anam]]'s network nodes. ### The Dawn Wardens Council After the ten days of preparation, the party gathered in a secluded location outside town for a critical planning session. All members attended to address three major questions: Should [[Cedric]] officially join as a Dawn Warden? Should they accept [[Armara]]'s membership? And what was their path forward? **On [[Cedric]]:** After debate, they decided on a trial period—test him on a mission before making him a permanent member. [[Nobuu]] complained about not needing more people, but even he acknowledged another healer would be useful. The consensus was that [[Cedric]] was a significant improvement over previous party members. **On [[Armara]]:** Despite acknowledging she might be using them tactically (she had declared herself a Dawn Warden to gain "perceived innocence"), the party agreed her usefulness and shared enemies made her a valuable ally. [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] argued she'd done enough to be considered part of the team. **[[Hermes]]' Divine Visions:** [[Hermes]] shared his troubling visions with the group, describing the fragmented images of possible futures and the watching entity from the Verdant Veil. **[[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]]'s Lore Analysis:** Pulling out her journal (prompting [[Benguard]]'s "Oh no" reaction), [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] connected historical dots that revealed [[Anam]] [[Anam|the Withered One]] was likely [[Anam|Arkular]], the ancient lich who nearly destroyed Solare 200,000-300,000 years ago. [[Anam|Arkular]] had commanded both devils and demons, used disease as a weapon, was allied with [[The Seven Brides of Dracon|the Seven Brides]], and had forced [[Perserphina]] herself to return through the veil with her armies to stop him. The patterns matched perfectly—disease warfare, layered plans, centuries of infrastructure building. [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] also shared rare knowledge about the [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]] ([[Sylrathis]]): a 100-foot tree in the [[Yggrathian Forest]] whose roots stretch through the entire globe. Its sap and leaves can cure any disease, its bark can resurrect the dead, and sleeping beneath its roots grants visions and blessings. Created from [[Perserphina]]'s first tear, it serves as Solare's spiritual anchor and primary defense against disease—exactly why [[Anam]] targeted it. **[[Benguard]]'s Divine Mission:** [[Benguard]] shared his vision from [[Perserphina]] about a shield broken into seven pieces—if reassembled, "something forgotten will be unchained." He believed one piece might be at the Dark Tower. He suggested visiting the [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]] could grant insights about the shield fragments' locations. **The Seals Problem:** [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] and [[Nobuu]] raised the issue of their magical seals, which were only temporarily broken by Sylvara. To permanently remove them, they needed to visit [[Hexa Landing]] in far northwestern [[North Angoria]]—in vampire-controlled Askarian Empire territory. **The Strategic Problem:** Multiple objectives pointed to [[North Angoria]]: - The [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]] (for divine guidance and protective materials) - [[Hexa Landing]] (to permanently remove their seals) - The Dark Tower (possible shield fragment location) - [[Armara]]'s mission against [[Anam]] However, complications abounded. [[Hexa Landing]] was in vampire-controlled Askarian Empire territory (an evil empire at war with the Free Kingdoms, requiring travel papers). Allying with [[Armara]] made them enemies of [[Silvervale - Port City of South Angoria|Silvervale]] and potentially its allied kingdoms. The [[The Wizards Conclave|Wizards Conclave]] was divided on whether to support or oppose them. **Final Decisions:** The party agreed to: 1. Travel to [[Brensistria]] in [[North Angoria]] (closer to the [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]] than [[Silvervale - Port City of South Angoria|Silvervale]] Deep) 2. Visit the [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]] for divine guidance and materials 3. Eventually reach [[Hexa Landing]] to remove their seals despite the vampire/empire complications 4. Help [[Armara]] hunt [[Anam]]'s network (pragmatically accepting that fighting [[Anam]] served everyone's interests) 5. Leave South Angoria temporarily to let the [[Silvervale - Port City of South Angoria|Silvervale]] situation cool down [[Nobuu]]'s contribution: "I don't care as long as I live at the end of the day. Whatever." Though when reminded about potential immortality-granting items, he perked up: "Seven items? I might be down." ### The Journey North With preparations complete and [[Armara]] confirming she could teleport the entire party directly to [[Brensistria]] (having visited there previously), the Dawn Wardens prepared to leave South Angoria behind. They would arrive in the heart of the Free Kingdoms, closer to both the [[Sylrathis|Eldertree]] and the escalating conflict between the Free Kingdoms and the Askarian Empire. The party stood at a crossroads: officially allying with a fugitive accused of regicide, traveling into territories they barely understood, hunting an ancient evil that had nearly destroyed the world once before, and carrying the burden of prophecy that suggested multiple dark futures depending on their choices. But they also carried new power, new knowledge, and—perhaps most importantly—new purpose. As [[Armara]] began preparing the teleportation ritual, [[Nobuu]] grumbled about leaving the water behind, [[Ilith Ornithullin|Ilith]] checked her journal one more time, [[Benguard]] adjusted his legendary cloak, and [[Hermes]] kept watch for any sign of the entity that had been following them. Whatever awaited in [[North Angoria]], the Dawn Wardens would face it together.